Yokota Airmen to take part in Operation Christmas Drop

Published Dec. 7, 2009
36th Wing Public Affairs

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM -- Once again, Andersen Air Force Base and Yokota Air Base are getting ready for the holidays and along with preparing for that, the bases are also preparing for the annual Operation Christmas Drop.

Operation Christmas Drop is a non-profit organization powered by volunteers from Andersen and the local community that have to date dropped more than 800,000 pounds of goods throughout the islands. OCD is the Air Force's longest running humanitarian air lift operation.

Operation Christmas Drop delivers supplies to various islands throughout the CNMI, Palau, Yap, and Chuuk. The goal of this year's Christmas Drop is to deliver humanitarian aid to at least 57 islands.

Not only is this a Team Andersen event, the 36th Airlift Squadron from Yokota helps deliver the goods by providing the airlift. The community of Guam also donates goods and money to keep Operation Christmas Drop going, and Bruce Best, University of Guam representative, communicates with the islands to help us focus attention on what the island residents need.

(Story courtesy of Staff Sgt. Jamie Lessard)